Abstract

South Asia needs to create more than 12 million jobs every year for sustained growth, and economic corridors which capitalize on efficient transport networks are an important means to strengthen the manufacturing sector and create jobs.

As tariff-based barriers decline in South Asia, countries in the region are recognizing the importance of transport and trade facilitation measures to reap the benefits of trade liberalization. The next stage in regional cooperation is the development of economic corridors. This book discusses the shaping of economic corridors along regional transport arteries and shows how opportunities for industrial agglomeration and expansion can bring dynamic gains to the region. It identifies viable subcomponents to link with principal transport networks and economic clusters while suggesting policy measures to ensure that benefits are fully realized.